Knitting-machine.



No. 681,546. PatentedKAug. l27, IQOI.,v

H. E. HABBAUGH.. KNITTING MAGHINE.

(Application led Feb. 14, 1.901.) (nu Model.) A 3 sheets-:angst Y l W N A n V e 1 y 3 3 Y j Uv* A y m num nul No. 631,546. Pafanted Aug. 27", Ism.

H. E. HARBAUGH.

KNITTING MACHINE. (Application med''eb. 14, 190i.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Z7 Iii 2/,e 27,4 El Y F zr` No. 631,546. Patented Aug. 27, Ism.

' H. E. HMIBAUGl-I.y A

Y KNITTIHG IIAGI'IINE.A l (Application tiled Ieb. 14, 1901.) v y (|Io llodal.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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1N: unam: mms cc.. mum. wAsnmcon o c UNrrnD STATES Parenti*A Gruen.

HOWARD E. HARBAUGH, OF KENOSHA, VISCONSIN.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 681,546, dated August 27', 1901. Application led February 14, 1901. 4Serial No. 47,373. CNO model.)

To LZZ whom t muy concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD E. HARBAUGH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kenosha, in the county of Kenosha and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circular-Knitting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is theproduction of means for simplifying and expediting the operation of transferring the top of a stocking frorna machine adapted to knit an elastic ribbed fabric, such as is commonly used for the tops of stockings, to a knittingmachine arranged to continue the knitting operation, usually to complete the stocking.

In knitting stockings on circular-knitting machines the ribbed top of the stockingis usually made separately and transferred from the machine upon which it is knit to the machine that forms the leg and foot of the stocking and narrows and widens for the heel and the toe. In transferring the ribbed top from one machine to the othera device for placing each one of the stitches of the ribbed top upon a needle of the second knitting-machine is necessary. Such a device is provided in what is called a transfer-ring, and this ring usually comprises two rings, one fitting tightly upon the periphery of the other. The inner ring is provided in its peripheral face with grooves formed nearly parallel with its central axis, and in each of these grooves is set a semitubular piece of steel sharpened at one of its ends by being cut off obliquely to its length, its other end being cutoff squarely. These semitubular pieces are called quills. They are of a uniform length and are set in the grooves in the inner ring, so that their square ends are iush with one side of said ring and are held in place by forcing the second ring over the iirst and securing it in position in any suitable way. The quills are usually set into their grooves, so that their concave faces are disposed outward, though rings are sometimes formed with the concave sides of the quills facing inward. However this may be, the number of quills in the transfer-ring must agree with the number of needles in the cylinder of the machine to which said ribbed top is to be transferred for the continuation of the knitting operation. In transferring the ribbed top to the second knitting-machine the unfinished or bottom end of said top is stretched over the points of the quills of a transfer-ring, the stitches of said top being slipped over said quills. The transfer-ring is then inverted over the upper ends of the needles of the second knittingmachine and each needle placed within the concavity of one of the quills in order that when all the needles are in place within the quills the stitches of the knitted top may be stripped downward over said needles. This method of transferring takes much time not only of the operative, but of the knitting-ma chine, as on account of slight irregularities in the positions of the upper ends of the needles much difficulty is experienced in placing the needles within their corresponding quills.

The object of this invention, therefore, is accomplished by spacing the upper ends of the needles uniformly with relation to their circular arrangement, as well as with reference to their vertical position, so that the quills of the transfer-ring may simply be set over the tops of the needles and each needle will be in position to be raised within its corresponding quill. In the embodiment herein shown` of this invention this object is attained by switching the needles so that their Shanks rest upon the ledge in the cam-ring, the tops of the needles being in a horizontal plane. The needle-cylinder is now raised bodily, the needles being held from movement with said cylinder or being depressed after the movement thereof, so that their Shanks are in contact with said ledge and so that the upper ends of said needles project but slightly above the-upper edge of the needle-cylinder. The needle-grooves being regularly disposed in the needle-cylinder and the tops of the needles being level, the transfer-ring may readily be put in place, each one of the quills lying between adjacentsinker-slides, and consequently just inside of' and over the top of one of the needles. The lower ends of the quills rest upon the top of the needle-cylin- A der, and when the latter is lowered to its normal or operative position the transfer-ring slides downward therewith upon the needles until it is sustained upon the tops of the latter. In this latter position the ribbed top may be d rawn downward through theinterior of the cylinder, the stitches of the'top being stripped from the quills of the transfer-ring onto the needles.

In the accompanying drawings', Figure l is a vertical central section through a knittingmachine embodying the features of my invention, showing the cylinder elevated and the needles out of alinement. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the needles after they have been alined by the leveling-plate and after the transfer-ring has been placed in position upon the tops of the needles. In this view the ribbed-top fabric is represented as being ready to be stripped downward from the quills ofthe transfer-ring to the knitting-needles. Fig. 3 is a fragmental view showing the lower end of the needle-cylinder in elevation. Fig. 4 is a vertical central section through the cam-ring, showing the switch for elevating the needles from the cam-groove on't'o the horizontal needle-ledge. a `itragmental vertical section taken through the switch shown in the preceding iigure. Fig. 6 is a fragmental view showing in elevation `the switch illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5.

Fig. 7 shows the means for supporting the A3, rigidly mounted thereon, and the bed A t supports a tubular `post A4, formed integral therewith, also a post A5 for sustaining the yarn-guiding mechanism. (Not shown.) A

hand-lever A6 is pivotally mounted upon a screw-stud Afin a bracket A3,depending from i the bed A', which hand-lever has a stud A9 projecting from its side for engaging the needle-cylinder, the purpose of the lever being to raise and lower the cylinder, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

'B is the needle-cylinder, having the'usual needle-grooves B in the periphery thereof, which grooves are adapted to receive the needles B3, each of which latter is provided with a shank B3 for engaging the cam-groove in the cam-ring. The lower edge of the needle-cylinder has a triangular cam-notch B4, adapted to receive the stud A9 of the hand-lever A5. When the lever is oscillated, the stud Afengages the inclined cam-surface of said angular notch B4, giving the cylinder a greater vertical movement than it otherwise would receive.

Cis a cam-ring surrounding the needlecylinder, rotatably mounted on the bed A' of the supporting-frame A and arranged to be driven' by the gear-wheel A3, which meshes with gear-teeth C on the under side of said cam-ring. The cam-ring `C has the usual cam-groove C2 therein for receiving the shanks Fig. 5 is B3 of the needles and operating the latter to knit, also the usual ledge C3, upon which the needles rest when not in said cam-groove. A vertically-elongated opening C4 in said cam -ring is provided with a sliding switchblock C5. On the inner side of the cam-ring this switch-block carries the transverse member C5 and the pivoted tongue C7. A lockinglatch C3 is pivoted to said sliding block on the outside of said cam-ring, which latch is adapted to enga-ge the iixed stud C on said ring and hold said switch in either one of. its two positions. A spring C10, connected with said latch, holds the latter in engagement with said stud.

A sinker-slide bed D is rigidly secured to the upper end of the needle-cylinder B. It has the usual radial grooves D with the sinker-slides D2 therein, each of which latter is provided with an upwardly-projecting lug D3 for engaging the cam-groove D4 in the cam-ring D5 for operating said sinker-slides.

E is a leveling-plate for engaging the upper ends of the needles B3. It is supported in the sleeve E at the outer 'end of the arm E2, the integral upright portion of which arm lies in the tubular post A4 and has an oscillatory movement therein. The leveling-plate E is provided with a central" stem E3, having a vertically-reciprocatory movement in said sleeve E', and said stem is provided with a vstud E4, adapted to slide inthe vertical groove E5 in the sleeve E. This groove has an offset portion E5 for locking the stem E3 in its lowest position, the stem being normallyheld elevated by the action of the spring E, surrounding said stem. The arm E2 is adapted to be turned in its supporting tubular post A4 into coincidence with the needle-cylinder B when it is desirable to level the tops of the needles to receive the transfer-ring, or it may `be swung to one side when not in use. A projection E3, extending from the side of the arm E2, engages the post A5 to stop the leveling-plate directly over the needle-cylinder I3.

F is a transfer-ring composed of the inner ring F, having grooves F2 therein, semitubular quills F3, adapted to lie in said grooves, and the outer ring F4 for securing said quills rigidly in place in said grooves. The quills slant inward slightly, the more readily to fit over the tops of the needles when said transferring is placed in position upon the needle-cylinder.

G represents the ribbed top for alstocking, the stitches of the lower end of which top are drawn over the quills of the transfer-ring.

The operation of this knitting-machine is in general like that of other machines O f its type. When it is desired to present a ribbed top to the needles of the machine, the locking-latch C3 of the vertically-movable switchblock C5 is rocked upon its supporting-pivot to withdraw said latch from engagement with the fixed stud C. The switch-block is then elevated, its fixed member C preventing the IOO IIO

the cylinder, though those that are loose in their grooves will remain with their Shanks in contact with the ledge CS of said cam-ring. The leveling-plate E is then swung into coincidence with the needle-cylinder and said plate depressed against the action of its supporting-spring E7 by the hand of the operator. The leveling-plate pushes all the needles downward, so that their tops lie substantially on a level with the tops of the sinker-slides D2, projecting slightly above the upper edge of the needle-cylinder. A transfer-ring, upon the quills ot` which the stitches of the ribbed top have been drawn, is next placed upon the top edge of the needle-cylinder, so that each of said quills stands with its lower end between two of the sinlrer-slides D2. This will bring each of the quills into exact coincidence with one of the needles ot' the cylinder B. By depressing the hand-lever A6 the needle-cylinder will be lowered to its normal or knitting position, and the transfer-ring resting upon the upper end of said needlecylinder will follow said needle-cylinder downward until its weight is sustained by the needles. The stitches upon the quills ot' the transfer-ring may then readily be transferred to the needles by pulling downward upon the ribbed top and stripping said stitches from the quills to the needles. When this is done, the transfer-ring is removed, the lockinglatch C8 withdrawn from engagement with the fixed stud C9, and the switch-block C5 depressed,opening the cam-groove to receive the needle-Shanks when the cam-ring C is rotated. The machine is now in a position to knit a continuation of the ribbed top. The offset E6 in the elongated opening E5 is provided, so thatthe leveling-plate E may be depressed and held in that position. When the leveling-plate is used in this manner and it is desired to put a ribbed top onto the needles of the machine, the plate is moved into coincidence with the cylinder before the same is elevated. The plate thus acting as a stop occupies a position which will prevent the needles from rising with the needle-cylinder.

I claim as my invention- 1. Aknitting-machinecomprisinganeedlecylinder having needle-grooves therein; needles free to slide in said grooves; a cam-ring having a ledge for limiting thedownward movement of said needles; means for bodily raising said needle-cylinder; and a plate for leveling the topsof the needles in a plane slightly above the top of the needle-cylinder to receive a transfer-ring.

2. Aknitting-machinecomprisinganeedlecylinder having needle-grooves therein; needles free to slide in said grooves; a cam-ring having a ledge for limiting the downward movement of said needles; meanswfor bodily raising said needle-cylinder; a plate; and means whereby said plate may be vertically reciprocated for leveling the tops of the needles in a plane slightly above the top of the needle-cylinder, to receive a transfer-ring.

3. A knitting machine comprising a needlecylinder having needle-grooves therein; needles free to slide in said grooves; a cam-ring having a ledge for limiting the downward movement of said needles; means for bodily raising said needle-cylinder; an arm adapted to be swung over said needle-cylinder; and

a plate for leveling the tops of the needles in a plane slightly above the top of the needlecylinder, which plate is slidably mounted on said arm.

4. A knitting-machine comprising abedplate; a needle cylinder having needlegrooves therein; needles free to slide in said grooves; a cam-ring having a ledge for limiting the downward movement of said needles;

a lever for bodily raising said needle-cylinder an arm pivotally mounted upon the bedplate, and adapted to be swung over said needle-cylinder; a spring-plunger mounted in said arm; and a plate on said plunger for leveling the tops of the needles in a plane slightly above the top of the needle-cylinder.

5. A knitting-machine comprising a bedplate; a needle-cylinder having needlegrooves therein; needles free to slide in said grooves; a cam-ring having a ledge for limiting the downward movement of said needles; a bell-crank lever for bodily raising said needle-cylinder; an arm pivotally mounted on said bed-plate, and adapted to be swung over said needle-cylinder; a plunger mounted in said arm; a spring for holding said plunger elevated; a plate on said plunger, for leveling the tops of the needles in a plane slightly above the top of the needle-cylinder and means for holding said plate downward against the action of the spring ot said plunger.

6. A knitting-machine comprising ,a bedplate; a needle cylinder having needlegrooves therein; needles free to slide in said grooves; a cam-ring having a ledge for limiting the downward movement of said needles; a bell-crank lever forbodily raising said needle-cylinder; a stud on said lever, for engaging said cylinder; an arm pivotally mounted upon the bed-plate, and adapted to be swung over said needle-cylinder; a plunger mounted in said arm; a spring for holding said plunger elevated; a stud on said plunger for holding it downward against the action of said spring; and a plate for leveling the tops of the needles in a plane slightly above the top of the needle-cylinder.

7. A knitting-machine comprising a .bedplate; a needle cylinder having needlegrooves therein, and a cam-surface near its IIO on said lever, for engaging the cam-surface in said needle-'cylinden HOWARD E. HARBAUGI-I. Witnesses:

L. L. MILLER, GEO. L. CHINDAHL. 

